January 10, 2011

NASA Schedules News Conference About Space Shuttle Status

by ssavage

NASA managers will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. CST Tuesday, Jan. 11, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. They will discuss Discovery's STS-133 flight to the International Space Station and talk about the progress of repairs since the shuttle's original launch date last November.

Space Shuttle Program managers briefed senior NASA officials Monday about the status of repairs and engineering evaluations associated with cracks found on 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets called stringers on the shuttle's external fuel tank. Managers approved installing small strips of metal, called radius blocks, on the tank's remaining stringers. Testing and analysis show the modification will provide additional strength to the stringers.

The news conference will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA centers or by calling into a phone bridge. To use the phone bridge, reporters must have valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or specifically for the STS-133 mission. Journalists planning to use the phone bridge must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 12:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Newsroom personnel will verify credentials and transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Capacity is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.